Lula's comeback driven by Brazil's wealthier cities despite Bolsonaro lead

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured his re-election victory over Flávio Bolsonaro primarily through gains in Brazil's wealthier cities, despite losing that demographic overall and maintaining his stronghold among poorer voters. In the richest municipalities, Lula's vote share rose 24% between rounds, from 22.9 million to 28.5 million votes, compared to smaller increases in lower-income areas. He won the intermediate income bracket 52.9% to 47.1% and received 75.5% of votes in the poorest cities. Rio de Janeiro exemplified the shift, where Lula overcame a 137,800-vote deficit to win by 113,100 votes, marking the party's first victory there since 2014. Political scientist Josué Medeiros attributed the turnaround to voter rejection of Bolsonaro and Lula's proposals like ending the 6x1 work schedule.